What does this population ranking show?

It orders states by Population. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

U.S. Census Bureau supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Place

Lowest population by state

Population.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

Census ACS 1-year estimate.

How to read this ranking

Wyoming has the lowest published population in this comparison, at 587,618. The next states shown are Vermont (648,493) and District of Columbia (702,250).

The table orders 51 states by population. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Census ACS 1-year estimate.

1Wyoming587,618
2Vermont648,493
3District of Columbia702,250
4Alaska740,133
5North Dakota796,568
6South Dakota924,669
7Delaware1,051,917
8Rhode Island1,112,308
9Montana1,137,233
10Maine1,405,012
11New Hampshire1,409,032
12Hawaii1,446,146
13West Virginia1,769,979
14Idaho2,001,619
15Nebraska2,005,466
16New Mexico2,130,256
17Mississippi2,943,045
18Kansas2,970,606
19Arkansas3,088,354
20Iowa3,241,488
21Nevada3,267,467
22Utah3,503,613
23Connecticut3,675,069
24Oklahoma4,095,393
25Oregon4,272,371
26Kentucky4,588,372
27Louisiana4,597,740
28Alabama5,157,699
29South Carolina5,478,831
30Minnesota5,793,151
31Colorado5,957,494
32Wisconsin5,960,975
33Missouri6,245,466
34Maryland6,263,220
35Indiana6,924,275
36Massachusetts7,136,171
37Tennessee7,227,750
38Arizona7,582,384
39Washington7,958,180
40Virginia8,811,195
41New Jersey9,500,851
42Michigan10,140,459
43North Carolina11,046,024
44Georgia11,180,878
45Ohio11,883,304
46Illinois12,710,158
47Pennsylvania13,078,751
48New York19,867,248
49Florida23,372,215
50Texas31,290,831
51California39,431,263

Related place rankings

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Population. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. Census Bureau. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/population" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Population by state"></iframe>

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. · How this is built

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